The right to believe!

Most of us, in the "western world" have the freedom to believe. We are free to read the Bible whenever we like, or to go to church and worship with other Christians whenever we want to. And we can do all of this without thinking the police might break down our door, seize our Bible, and haul us off to jail.

It’s easy to forget that millions still don’t have this right to believe.

This year at the United Nations the Defamation of Religions Resolution will be voted on again. Its supporters claim that it protects religious freedom but, in reality, it does the exact opposite. It gives governments the power to determine which religious views can and can’t, be expressed in their country, and it gives the state the right to punish those who express ‘unacceptable’ religious views, as they see fit.

So, in effect, it makes persecution legal.

Incredibly, many countries have backed this resolution in the past, but some are now changing their minds. This year, there is a real possibility the Resolution could be defeated. And you can help.

Say NO to the Defamation of Religions Resolution, and say YES to the right to believe, by going to

http://advocacy.oduk.org/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=77&ea.campaign.id=7285
(please copy, and paste)

Martyrdom - then and now!

I have just received an e-mail from my friend Mark, directing me to the following website that shows an act of reconciliation between the inhabitants of a South Sea island, and the descendants of a Christian missionary who was murdered, and eaten, by the islanders' ancestors. Named "Martyrs' Island" by Presbytarian Missionaries at the beginning of the 19th Century, Erromango (second island from the bottom!) never quite lost its reputation as a dangerous destination. Please click on the link!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8398562.stm

Sadly, the murder of disciples of Jesus continues to this day. On Nov. 14, according to Compass Direct News, the body of a 23-year-old Christian convert, Mumin Abdikarim Yusuf, was discovered in the Yaqshid district of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. On Oct. 28, members of al-Shabaab, an Islamic extremist group, detained Yusuf and searched his home for Christian materials. A 15-year-old Muslim boy had accused Yusuf of trying to convert him to Christianity.

In an attempt to gain evidence against Yusuf and to gain information about other Somali Christians, the extremists knocked out all of Yusuf's front teeth and broke several of his fingers. They then shot him twice in the head and dumped his body on an empty residential street. Since it is unknown whether Yusuf revealed information about other Christians during his torture, the 'underground' Christians who knew him have relocated for their safety. Yusuf's Muslim family members are also in danger, as extremists have accused them of failing to report his conversion to Christianity.

Of course, this is just one more instance of people being murdered for no other reason than their confessing that Jesus is their Lord. I am always challenged at the price that these dear people pay for their faith - a price that I am unlikely ever to have to even consider. May it be that, one day soon, their descendants will contact the descendants of these modern martyrs, and seek reconciliation in the Name of that same Jesus, Whose advent we are remembering at this time.

P.S. Don't forget to check out today's Advent Video!

Eritrea

Eritrea is a relatively small African country that is situated at the southwestern coast of the Red Sea. It's a place that doesn't often appear in our news programmes in any of the media. However, it is one of almost sixty countries in which Christians are persecuted for no other reason than their steadfast allegiance to the Lord Jesus. This is a report that arrived in my mailbox today:

"Sources have confirmed that eight Christians have died while imprisoned for their faith in Eritrea in the last few years. In addition, church leaders estimate that a further 2,907 Christians, including over 100 women, are being imprisoned because of their faith.
The government campaign against Christians continued into 2009 with the arrest on 11 January of 15 male members of the Kale-Hiwot Church in Keren. Five of them are preachers. All those arrested were taken from their homes.
In early January, Mogos Hagos Kiflom (37) died at Mitire Military Confinement, as a result of the continued physical torture he endured for his refusal to recant his faith. Kiflom, who was a member of the Rhema Church, leaves behind a wife, one child and his mother.
On 16 January, Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom (42) also died in Mitire while under solitary confinement. Sources say he died as a result of ongoing physical torture and complications from his diabetes. Asgedom was a member of the Church of the Living God in Mendefera. He leaves behind a widowed mother.
The Mitire Military Confinement was built in the north east of the country apparently for the express purpose of punishing Christians who persist in their religious activities despite the government's ban on them in 2002. Incarcerated Christians from all over the country have been moved to Mitire where they suffer physical torture and forced labour."

If you are a believer, please pray:
1. Pray for the Lord’s comfort and solace for the families and friends of Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom and Mogos Hagos Kiflom. Ask God to provide for their needs.
2. Pray for all Christians who find themselves in Mitire Military Confinement and other Eritrean prisons. Pray that God's Spirit will keep them from despondency and through grace help them to remain full of hope and peace.
3. Pray for wisdom for all church members who have had to step into leadership positions due to the widespread arrest of pastors.

Thank you

Chinese Crackdown

As we approach Nov 5th, many shops are selling fireworks including, I imagine, "Chinese Crackers". However, for Christians who live in China, the reality has more to do with Chinese Crackdowns, as the following report from Release International shows.

Beijing pastor ‘Bike’ Zhang Mingxuan’s brief respite from harassment has ended abruptly: he has been arrested, his house church has been shut down and his son brutally attacked.

After months of systematic persecution around the Beijing Olympics, Pastor Bike was allowed to return to Beijing in late-September, after an ‘enforced vacation’ in Hebei province, and worship with his house church in peace.

But this respite was short-lived. On October 16, Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials raided Pastor Bike’s home and beat his oldest son, Zhang Jian, with iron bars for 25 minutes. Officers then threw the family – and all their furniture – out of their rented flat.

When Zhang Jian’s mother Xie Fenglan called an ambulance, the receptionist told her she was not allowed to dispatch an ambulance for Zhang Jian because he was a relative of Pastor Bike. Zhang Jian, whose right eye may have been blinded in the attack, has discharged himself from hospital, despite needing surgery, because he fears for his safety. On October 22, Pastor Bike rang his son to say he had been detained – but was not allowed to say where. His wife and sister are now being held at a PSB-run hotel in Beijing.

Police have also sealed the door of Pastor Bike’s church and blocked it with two truckloads of rubbish. Its electricity supply has also been cut – and all this despite assurances from the PSB last month that he was free to worship. Pastor Bike is president of the Chinese House Church Alliance.
(Source: China Aid)

• Ask God to heal Zhang Jian physically – and fill him with His peace.

• Pray that influential members of the Public Security Bureau will again look favourably on Pastor Bike and his family – and leave them to worship in peace.

Persecution of Christians in India

Three More Christians Killed in Orissa; Opposition Reported in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Three more believers were martyred and twelve others were severely wounded in a fresh wave of violence in Orissa, India, on September 30. The latest attacks occurred in villages near Kandhamal, which has been the epicentre of violence against Christians since August 22.
The violence in Orissa came as attacks in two other Indian states targeted a Christian pastor and a Bridge of Hope centre.
An estimated 30 Christians have been killed and thousands of others have lost their homes since Hindu extremists went on a rampage after their leader, Swami Laxmananda Saraswati was murdered. His followers are seeking revenge for his death, for which Christians have been blamed. However, Maoists have claimed responsibility for the murder.
A Gospel for Asia correspondent in Orissa said Tuesday's attacks came at 4:30 a.m. when mobs of as many as 5,000 Hindu extremists attacked three separate villages. The extremists burned down about 150 homes and three churches. The Indian media reports that police opened fire in an attempt to disperse the violent forces.
The mob also reportedly attacked the local police station, demanding that two people arrested in connection with the ongoing riots be released. Media reports from within the country also indicate that the extremists have blocked all roads in and out of the area of the attack with rocks and boulders to prevent police from bringing in additional forces.
Since the violence began August 22, six people who attended GFA-related churches in Orissa have been killed by the Hindu extremists, who have personally attacked more than 2,000 believers from these churches. The extremists have also burned down 630 homes belonging to believers who attend GFA-related churches and destroyed 22 churches where GFA missionaries serve as pastors.
Many Christians are still hiding out in the dense jungles surrounding their villages. They are suffering from the effects of starvation, disease and monsoon flooding that wrecked the state in September.
With the continued violence and the roads blocked, it is impossible for GFA Compassion Services teams to get into Orissa to distribute aid.
Missionary Beaten in Uttar Pradesh
Gospel for Asia missionaries are also dealing with persecution in Uttar Pradesh, where Hindu extremists have attacked a pastor and have set their sights on a Bridge of Hope centre.
On October 1, the extremists attacked a Bridge of Hope centre and a church in Magapatti, Uttar Pradesh. The pastor of the church, who is a GFA missionary, was badly beaten in the attacks.
Hindu extremists continue their campaign to obliterate Christians in Orissa, India. On Tuesday, they destroyed another 150 homes like this one, along with three churches.
The extremists have been systematically threatening the parents of the children in the Bridge of Hope centre for the past few weeks. The centre was closed as a precaution and no children were on site when the extremists attacked the missionary.
Christian Aid Workers Forced Out of Bihar
Another gang of anti-Christian extremists forced out Christian aid workers attempting to help survivors of flooding in Bihar. The incident occurred on September 25 in the state's Purnia district where aid workers were assessing needs and handing out cards for people to exchange for supplies. The group was planning to help at least 2,500 families.
The extremists accused the group of taking advantage of the situation to lure the people into Christianity by offering relief materials.
The aid workers, who have been in Bihar since September 1, were able to move their base to another area and continue operations.
GFA missionaries in the affected areas shared the following prayer requests:
Please pray for the families of those killed in Orissa, that they would be comforted by the Word of God and that they would remain strong in the midst of intense persecution.
Pray for those wounded in Tuesday's attacks. Several of them have life-threatening injuries and are not expected to live. Pray for their healing and that it would be a testimony of God's glory.
Pray for the people hiding in the jungles and those living in relief camps. Pray especially that God would provide a way for Compassion Services teams to reach them.
Pray for healing for the missionary in Uttar Pradesh.
Pray that the Bridge of Hope center in that community would be able to reopen and that the children could go to school without fear.
Pray for the many Christian organizations attempting to distribute relief supplies in Bihar.
Pray for the extremist and militant groups who are opposing the Gospel to come to know Jesus as their Saviour.